CCTV grabs cop's fake encounter threat for Rs 5 lakh

PSI went to Ulhasnagar jeweller's store looking for his brother against whom he had registered an FIR, asked him to fork out for R5 lakh if he wanted to save his kin or else...

A CCTV camera has caught a cop while trying to extort an Ulhasnagar-based jeweller and threatening to kill his brother, whom he had booked in a forgery case, in a police encounter if the jeweller did not oblige with the cop's demand.

Gunning for the money: The CCTV footage from Rajpurohit's jewellery shop shows PSI Sonavane using the calculator to allegedly type out the extortion amount and gesturing at the jeweller with his index finger

Around 2.30 pm on December 13, Police Sub-Inspector Rahul Sonavane attached to the Hill Line police station went to Shravan Babusingh Rajpurohit's jewellery shop, Panchratna, in Ulhasnagar-4 in civilian clothing. The PSI told him that an FIR had been registered against his elder brother Dasharath (33) for cheating and forgery. "If you (Rajpurohit) want to save your brother, give me Rs 5 lakh," the officer told the jeweller, Rajpurohit said. When Rajpurohit refused to fork out the extortion money, the cop pointed his gun finger at the jeweller's head and allegedly threatened to bump off Dasharath in a fake encounter.

"I told the cop that I could only afford to pay a small amount but he menacingly typed out 5,00,000 on a calculator lying on a table in my shop, and said that if I did not pay him, he would kill my brother in a fake encounter. He pointed his gun finger to my head while making the threat. I have complained to several police authorities demanding action against him," said Rajpurohit.

The threatening gesture has been captured on the CCTV camera in Rajpurohit's store.

On November 11, Dasharath had undertaken the development of a plot admeasuring 500 sq m worth Rs 2 crore in Ulhasnagar from Suresh Bhandari. On November 30, he was informed that an FIR had been registered against Bhandari, Shashikant Bhandari, Sachin Chikne, and him under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC. Sonavane, a complainant in the matter, took personal interest in it. He arrested Suresh Bhandari who was released after 8 days in jail.

The other side"I went to Rajpurohit's jewellery shop for an inquiry. His brother is absconding in a forgery case. I am not a fool; I was aware of the CCTV cameras," said Sonavane.

When this reporter questioned him of his threatening gesture and the extortion demand, he said, "Let me check the CCTV footage, only then will I comment."